Since I have had a couple of weeks of down time, I'm expanding my woodworking adventures. I'm not sure where the idea first came from--maybe some late night internet surfing--but I found a video of a guy that makes cooking spoons out of logs using only hand tools. Here's my first try:
Start off by splitting a log. I picked up a few feet of a ginkgo biloba tree from my old buddies on the university grounds department.
Once the log is split, I used the hatchet to smooth out the face of the wood.
Next, draw out the outline of the spoon, so I have an idea of what I'm working toward.
Added some stop cuts, so as I'm cutting away the excess I don't risk splitting the grain and breaking off the spoon's bowl with the hatchet.
How my stop cuts work!
This is as far as I can go with the hatchet. Time to break out the knife!
Bottom of the design, ready for some knife work.
Here's how it looks after I've carved away the rest of the excess. Time to work on the bowl.
Using a hook knife to carve out the bowl.
Bowl looks good. Time to start sanding!
Here's the finished product!
Had a blast using only man-powered tools. Now I need to find the perfect finish to oil and protect it. Looks like the perfect size to serve up a hearty venison chili. Ready to start on the second one! Rachel has put in an order for a stirring spoon… :)
